LONDON (AP) — Emma Watson may be leaving Hermione Granger behind on the film set, but not in her heart — the two share a similiar passion for learning.

Watson, whose character in the Harry Potter movies made it cool to be a studious teacher's pet, says she's "addicted to knowledge" and motivated to keep learning while doing other film projects.

Watson, who has played Hermione for more than half her life, is a sophomore at Brown University in Rhode Island where she is majoring in history. Unlike many of her young Potter co-stars, she chose to continue her education after graduating from high school.

"I love learning. I'm just addicted to knowledge. It just like, makes me happy. It keeps me motivated," she said in a interview while promoting her latest film, the first installment of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

Although the Potter films have enabled Watson to travel the globe and work with many critically acclaimed actors, she said she doesn't feel like she has learned enough yet. Education, she said, is a vital part of life.

"I don't think that by doing these movies I know everything. I just feel like that's the point of being alive, to try and understand the world that's around you. And it just keeps me in touch with real life," she said.

Hermione, the frizzy-haired smarty-pants heroine in the Potter series, battles evil witches and wizards with brainpower and magical skill. She makes it cool to love learning — a refreshing role model for young girls bombarded by too-cool-for-school attitudes often seen in TV shows or tween novels.

Back in the Muggle world, Watson must balance life between her acting career and her rigorous studies at an Ivy League school, which she says is "not easy".

"I think I'm going to have to work very hard over Thanksgiving. I've got like three or four days off, and I'll have a lot of reading to catch up on," she said.

Watson acknowledged there has been some "cross-pollination" between herself and Hermione and says she will miss playing the role tremendously — but it's time to enter a new stage.